Calvary Christian's Luke Jackson drafted #45 by Texas Rangers

June 9, 2010|By Rick Duteau, Sun Sentinel

Even though Luke Jackson had a good idea when he was going to be picked in the first day of the 2010 Major League Baseball First-Year Player draft, he could not help but feel anxious anticipation as he watched the selections being announced.

"I was just waiting to see if another team would take a chance on me earlier," said Jackson, a pitcher for Calvary Christian who helped lead his team to the Class 2A Regional Quarterfinals this season by going 8-1 with 96 strikeouts and an ERA of 0.90.

As had been indicated to him for much of the night, Jackson was selected with the 45th overall pick by the Texas Rangers.

Jackson must now decide whether to sign with the Rangers and pursue his dream or to keep his commitment to play baseball at the University of Miami. He said it is still too early for any decision to be made and he is still thinking about what is his best option.

The fact that he was taken by the Rangers does add an extra incentive to the mix, as Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan is currently the president and partial owner of the team.

"It's a great plus with him, he is hands on with their pitchers and he has established a nice program with them," said Jackson.